Kuchar takes lead at Barclays, but has a ways to go

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Matt Kuchar made the most of his short day at The Barclays.

Kuchar didn’t tee off until Friday afternoon at Liberty National and knew he had no chance to finish. He could barely see his ball cross the water and set up a two-putt birdie on the 13th hole that gave him the outright lead, and there was enough light coming from lower Manhattan across the Hudson River to hit his tee shot on the 14th.

The horn sounded, and by then, he was ready to go home.

Kuchar was at 10-under par with five holes remaining and had to return Saturday morning to hold his one-shot lead over Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland, who both finished the second round in the rain-delayed tournament.

Simpson ran off six birdies over an eight-hole stretch and had a 5-under 66

It’s much nicer when you’re playing well to keep playing. And when you’re playing well, you feel like you could play 40 holes in a day,” Simpson said.

Woodland was one of the last players to finish at twilight Friday, and he finished strong. Woodland, back on track after a win at the Reno-Tahoe Open three weeks ago, birdied four of his last five holes for a 64 to join Simpson in the clubhouse at 9-under 133

s for Tiger Woods, he couldn’t get off the course fast enough.

He made birdie on the 13th, the last hole he completed, but was still five shots behind Kuchar, who was in his group.

“I got off to a great start today and then lost it the middle part of the round and made too many mistakes,” Woods said.

Phil Mickelson, trying to retool his game after his British Open win, had a 69 and was seven shots behind the clubhouse lead.

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Scotland: Ricardo Gonzalez shot a second straight 7-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead after two rounds.

The 352nd-ranked Argentine birdied three of his opening seven holes before finishing with five straight birdies. That put him at 14-under 130 on the PGA Centenary course that is hosting the Ryder Cup in 2014.

Bernd Wiesberger of Austria shared the firstround lead with Gonzalez. He followed with a 66 that left him alone in second place.

Gonzalez, 43, is a fourtime winner on the European Tour, with his last victory in 2009.

Canadian Women’s Open at Edmonton, Alberta: Top-ranked Inbee Park shot a 5-under 65 for a share of the second-round lead with playing partner Cristie Kerr.

Park, the South Korean star who swept the first three majors of the season and has six LPGA Tour victories this season, had seven birdies and two . bogeys at Royal Mayfair to A match Kerr at 8-under 132.

Kerr, coming off the United States’ loss to Europe in the Solheim Cup, shot her second straight 66.